Ride the waves!

How to shoot in the surf with a waterproof housing

Ready to take the plunge? Surf photography is fastpaced and fun, and it’s easier than you might think to get actionpacked shots. All you need is a waterproof housing and our guide to braving the water with your Nikon.

You could always stand on the beach with a zoom lens and get decent pictures of surfers, but if you want to shoot like the pros do, you’re going to need to wade into the sea. Waterproof camera housings are specifically designed to keep your Nikon completely dry even when submerged in water, so that you can shoot confidently while in the ocean.

There are lots of soft and hard housings on the market; we used the beginner- (and pocket-!) friendly Aquapac. You’ll need to protect yourself too – rent or buy a decent wetsuit and you’ll be able to stay in the water comfortably for much longer.

Pro surf photographers are most likely to be shooting big breaks on the shores of Hawaii or Bali, but your local beach is fine for learning the basics. We headed to Fistral Beach in Newquay to photograph pro surfers

If you’re going to shoot like the pros do, you’re going to need to wade into the sea. Waterproof housings are specifically designed to keep your Nikon completely dry

Alan Stokes and Celine Gehret as they showed off their skills.

Good surf conditions aren’t guaranteed, so you’ll need to keep an eye on the forecast and the size of the waves. Start off by standing in shallow water and shooting the surfers head-on, then get in deeper and shoot parallel to your subject. The key, like with any sports photography, is to get your surfer pin-sharp.